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MILLIGAN COLLEGE, TN (Nov. 6, 2013) — At recently concluded October meetings, the Milligan College and Emmanuel Christian Seminary Boards of Trustees took another step toward the eventual integration of Emmanuel into Milligan by signing a Memorandum of Intent. The hope is that by fall 2015, Emmanuel can become an embedded seminary within Milligan.
“I am excited about what the future holds for Emmanuel Christian Seminary and Milligan College,” said Milligan President Bill Greer. “Our mutual commitment is to honor and continue Emmanuel’s legacy by continuing to offer academically-sound, advanced degrees in Bible and ministry under the Emmanuel name, as part of Milligan.”
The two institutions have a strong shared history. Emmanuel was founded in 1965 on the Milligan campus and under the leadership of then-president Dr. Dean E. Walker. Both Milligan and Emmanuel are committed to the ideals of the Stone-Campbell Movement.
“We firmly believe that it will be in Emmanuel’s best interest to become a part of Milligan College, and that such a move will help position both schools for greater growth and effectiveness,” said Emmanuel President Michael Sweeney.
Leaders of both institutions continue to study the most effective way to move forward.
“We believe we can best serve our churches and our Kingdom with one united mission and operational structure,” said Greer.
The institutions have been in discussion about the possible integration since July 2012. In April 2013, a management agreement was established for Milligan personnel to provide a range of administrative and support services to Emmanuel, including finance, admissions, information technology and the physical plant. The agreement also has helped the institutions’ leaders begin methodically working through the academic, financial, physical and operational decisions that must be made for the two schools to integrate.
“This arrangement has enabled us to bring the institutions closer together than ever before as we maximize operational efficiency and effectiveness. This process is going well and we are excited about the future possibilities and the great advantages this will offer students at both Emmanuel and Milligan,” said Greer.
The new Memorandum of Intent signed in October affirms both Milligan’s and Emmanuel’s intent to become one institution, once financial objectives are met.
“While much progress has been made, more work remains to be done over the coming months. We have a great team of people from both institutions working very hard and bathing this entire process in prayer. We covet your prayers and support as we make important decisions and also work to secure adequate funding to establish a strong foundation for future growth for Emmanuel, Milligan, and most importantly, the Kingdom,” said Greer.
To learn more about Milligan, visit www.milligan.edu. For more information about Emmanuel, visit www.ecs.edu.